Weymouth/Bournemouth/Poole - things to do

[Faroutplaces]

Going to Weymouth first week in August. Any recommendations for things to do with 12 yr old much appreciated. He likes to be active -swimming, climbing, running etc. museums ok if interactive as quite short attention span. We will have a car so Weymouth or surrounding areas good.

Also any recommendations for eating out (unadventurous boy who just eats pizza and pasta plus vegetarian parents.

Thanks

Some excellent traffic free cycle routes in the area, take your bikes, quite long ones too

Swimming will be easy but I would go to Weymouth for that because the parking around Poole can be difficult

Weymouth has a lot of pizza pasta type places and you've got the harbour, ships in and out, plus the castle (quite steep)

There are plenty of places to go fossil hunting nearby- Lyme Regis and Charmouth. Kimmeridge has a fossil museum.

Studland is great for the beach and water sports (free parking if you are a national trust member). Swanage is lovely to visit and has the steam train.

Corfe has the Dorset Adventure park which it sounds like you may enjoy too.

Monkey World is nearby.

Omg yes to Monkey World! Its an amazing place, they do so much good work and the story behind each primate is heartbreaking. If u can book a private tour with a guide, it's so worth it. (Can u tell I love Monkey World 😂)

Splash down wld be great too if the weather isn't good.

Following, we are going to Weymouth for a mini break at the start of the holidays!

Last time we went we enjoyed the beach mainly, but I am mindful the weather might not be as nice this time

I think we went to Prezzo in Weymouth as it does vegan pizzas (my son is dairy allergic), yes a chain restaurant but it was in a good setting by the harbour and very family friendly

There's a good Go Ape at Moors Valley near Bournemouth too, plus a walking trail with stuff to climb on.

My kids loved splash down. Just be prepared for the traffic.

Ringstead Bay is a lovely pebble beach a short drive from Weymouth with a sort of lagoon that is nicebto snorkel in (£6 parking for the day; there is a cafe too); Moors Valley has a Go Ape but is a lovely place for a walk anyway with outdoor play trail; Weymouth has a Sea Life centre too.

Swanage is a lovely seaside town with a cracking Victorian pier
From Bournemouth or Poole you can catch a seaside explorer open top bus which takes you over to Studland on the chain ferry and then to Corfe or Swanage

Monkey World and the Tank Museum are not far. Moors Valley is great. Loads to do there and if you have National Trust passes Kingston Lacy is a lovely place to visit. Actually in Weymouth Bowleaze Cove has paddle board hire and a reasonably sized permanent fun fair. The Nothe Fort is interesting to visit and it’s nice to walk around the gardens outside and there is a little beach and which is a bit of a locals secret which is great for rockpooling.

Recommend Bovington tank museum for 12 yr old boy. A really good day out and very close to Monkey World which previous poster just recommended.
If visiting Bournemouth then make time to go to Hengistbury head. Great beach , walks, take ferry to Mudeford quay for crabbing.
Have a great holiday.

I actually live in Weymouth and can think of some things to do in or local to here so hopefully this will help:
Nothe Fort
Land train for a tour around Weymouth
Think there is an open top bus that goes to Portland and back
Beach/arcades
Crabbing on the harbour wall
Walks around the fleet
Splashdown & bowling alley at Tower Park in Poole
Walk between Durdle Door & Lulworth Cove
Walk through Tynham Village (old village that residents had to leave during the war)
Monkey World
Tank Museum
Falmer Palmers but might be a bit old
Steam train near Swanage
Sea life centre
Fantasy Island at Bowleaze.

Poole has Sandbanks, lovely sandy beach (can get very busy), but also one of the most expensive places to live in UK.

Sealife aquarium at Weymouth.

Bournmouth has a nice pier and beach.

https://www.pooletourism.com/whats-on/events

Poole events. Bikes meet every week on a Tuesday, and cars on a Friday.

I was going to travel to the Poole splash down in the summer- when you guys say watch out for traffic, do you mean getting there, or is there a huge queue to get in their car park (i assume they have a car park)
This info will help me plan when to leave the house for the journey.

If you are staying in Weymouth in the summer holidays you will spend a long time sitting in traffic if you go out to Poole or Bournemouth.

My parents live in Weymouth. I'd suggest Dorset Adventure Park, Northe Fort, Walking out to see Durdle Door and Corfe Castle. Portland is also nice to scramble over the rocks.

Getting to Bournemouth/Poole area in the summer can be a nightmare. Tower Park which is where splashdown is, isn't too bad and has ample parking for all the stuff there. You've got a big tesco, food places, bowling etc.

But definitely leave a good while for the journey. Once you make it past the motorway traffic to get into the area, it's often gridlocked around the routes to the coast!

I lived in Bournemouth and summers always brought people in their thousands!

But. Splashdown is GREAT fun! Even as an adult!

Portland Bill.
Dorset Adventure Park, then corfe castle.
Monkey World.
Crab fishing at Weymouth harbour, and watching the bridge come up and down.
Yacht spotting in Weymouth harbour.
Bowleaze cove at night for toasting marshmallows on a bbq.
Durdle Door.
Speedboat Rib of the coast from Weymouth or Lulworth.
New Forest to see the wild ponies.
Swannery as there are cygnets hatching just now.
Chesil Beach.

Love Dorset, just back from a weeks holiday there.

Thank you so much everyone. Didn't expect so many replies, and some fab ideas here. Can't wait!